Yes indeed, 2 mighty fine albums but for my money Tempest trumps Old Ideas by a distance. That said, Old Ideas is a stately effort with some great stuff but it somehow remains slightly less than the sum of its parts for me. I return to Popular Problems much more than Old Ideas, it seems more free and loose- funkier and cooler all round.

JudasPriest wrote:Yes indeed, 2 mighty fine albums but for my money Tempest trumps Old Ideas by a distance. That said, Old Ideas is a stately effort with some great stuff but it somehow remains slightly less than the sum of its parts for me. I return to Popular Problems much more than Old Ideas, it seems more free and loose- funkier and cooler all round.

I'm with you. Popular Problems is a great album from start to finish. Old Ideas has some brilliant moments, but as a whole, I don't think it's one of Leonard's finest records. You could easily make an argument for Popular Problems to be listed among the Top 5 albums he's ever recorded.

Of course, all of this stuff is subjective. There are going to be visitors reading this post of mine and shaking their heads say, "You've got it backwards!" or "They both stink/are amazing!" We all have our opinions. Frankly, I'm not sure if Leonard has ever released an album that stinks, in my personal opinion. Dear Heather doesn't get played much by me, but there are a few moments I really enjoy. Death of a Ladies Man is probably my least favorite L.C. album. That's a shame because that's got to be one of the best album titles ever!